When the sun’s high and the leaves are green, climbing in Northern England isn’t all about seeking shade on steep limestone or heading to the mountain crags of the Lake District. For the adventurous climber, summer is also the time to explore the secret architectures of moorland gritstone. Mike Hutton reflects on the Chew Valley’s accessible wilderness of the Ravenstones

Perched on the periphery of Saddleworth moor lies a crag for those who seek solitude and forgotten challenges. The Ravenstones are a hidden world with routes to suit all abilities and styles, and overlooking one  of the most striking landscapes in Yorkshire. Shrouded in forbidding mist for most of the winter, by late spring the crag has shed its winter pelt and what’s revealed may entice you with a lifetime of possible adventures. In German folklore, Ravenstones are magical lights made from the undigested eyes of executed criminals. Ravenstones are so named because they were obtained by ravens that picked out the eyes of corpses hanging on gallows. According to this lore, Ravenstones emit a light visible only to their owners, and are used by thieves. For some, the Ravenstones may be just a winter’s tale. However, the adventurous and the seekers of quietness will associate them with a magical retreat from the heat of the city on long